listen for

idiom

: to pay attention to sounds in order to hear (something expected)

We listened for (the sound of) his footsteps.

We saw lightning and listened for the thunder.

Examples of listen for in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The stopgap solution here would be to put your ear to the ground and listen for this need under the demand, and responding to it directly. —Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 19 Sep. 2025

Monitor the sky for threatening signs and listen for the sound of thunder. —Bay Area Weather Report, Mercury News, 12 Sep. 2025

When the spacecraft fly over radio-quiet antenna arrays, tuned to listen for the quietest radio waves coming from distant galaxies, the noise from the satellites' internal electronics obscures some of the precious observation frequencies even when Earth-facing internet beams are switched off. —Tereza Pultarova, Space.com, 11 Sep. 2025

This is a better way: Move beyond outrage, listen for what’s at stake for our neighbors, and then build durable solutions where strong agreement is possible. —William Doherty, Twin Cities, 4 Sep. 2025

Rhymes for listen for

• albacore
• alongshore
• antiwar
• anymore
• blastopore
• carnivore
• commodore
• dinosaur
• evermore
• furthermore
• guarantor
• herbivore